US and Iran hold first direct talks in months at UN General Assembly

President Donald Trump disclosed on Tuesday that US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner engaged in three hours of talks with an Iranian delegation on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, marking the first high-level discussions between the two sides since negotiations in Switzerland broke down in June.

"It was a very good meeting," Trump told reporters during a bilateral meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. "I can't imagine why they wouldn't want to." He added that another session was scheduled "in the very near future," while Witkoff said simply, "I feel very good right now".politico+1

Talks and Threats in Tandem

The meeting took place on the same day Trump used his address to the 81st UN General Assembly to issue a stark ultimatum to Tehran. "Will a deal be made with Iran that lets them rebuild and create a far greater country than it ever was before?" Trump asked the assembled delegates. "Or do I annihilate the Islamic Republic and do it quickly?" Most members of the Iranian delegation walked out during the speech, according to the Kyiv Post.aljazeera+1

Iranian state media confirmed that Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met with Witkoff and presented Tehran's conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz. According to Israel Hayom, Qatar's Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani attended most of the session as a mediator, and the talks had been arranged in advance despite earlier administration statements that no meeting was planned.jpost+1

Iran Hardens Its Demands

Tehran's conditions included an immediate lifting of the US naval blockade, the release of all frozen Iranian assets, and an end to fighting across what it calls the "resistance fronts". Middle East Eye reported that Iran appeared to have hardened its position since June, with an IRGC spokesman saying Tehran now demands the full $24 billion in frozen assets upfront rather than in stages and wants Saudi Arabia's blockade on Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen included in any agreement.middleeasteye+1

The gap between the two sides remains wide. Saudi broadcaster Al Arabiya, citing a US official who attended the talks, reported that prospects for an agreement remain limited and that the United States rejected Iran's request to lift the blockade. Israeli officials assessed that neither side is likely to accept the other's terms, according to Ynet.ynetnews+1

Midterms Loom Over Diplomacy

Trump predicted a deal could be reached after the November midterm elections, while insisting the vote would not shape his approach. "The only thing that does is that Iran will never have a nuclear weapon," he said. Speaking later with Arab leaders at the UN, Trump struck an optimistic note, saying there was "a lot of momentum" toward an agreement. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian is scheduled to address the General Assembly on Wednesday.kyivpost+2